Locomotive front end



April 8, 1930. E. SCHELLENS ET AL 1,753,905

LOGOMOTIVE FRONT. END I Filed Aug. 1, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 8,11930- E. L. SCHELLENS ET AL LOCOMOTIVE FRONT END Filed Aug. 1, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 itz/rm INVENTOR by j ' W 1" MW ATTORNEYS Fatented Apr. 8, 19399 5Q TATE EUGENE L. sonnttnns, or roinrn stains, acnenc, CANADA, Ann Joni. s. COFFIN, an, or Liaison, new HAMPSHIRE, nssrenons, BY MEBNE ASSIGNMENTS, T c-s nneinnnnino oonranv, a oonronarron or DELAWARE LOCOMOTIVE FRONT END Application filed August 1, 1923. SeriaiNo. 654,975.

This invention relates to locomotives and front end improvements thereof.

One of the primary objects of our invention is to draft the locomotive with minimum back pressure in the'cylinders whereby the concomitant disadvantages incident to the standard practice of drafting locomotives in which back pressures run quite high, are overcome.

Another object of the invention is to obtain increased flexibility of the locomotive boiler whereby high boiler overload, as well as nor mal boiler load conditions, can be obtained with minimum back pressure.

Still another object of the invention hast-o do with improvements in the design, con struction and disposition of front end exhauster devices, the advantages of which will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

A further object of the invention has to do with the effective reclamation and utilization of the heat of the exhaust steam and of the waste gases for heating feed water.

The foregoing, together with such other objects as may hereinafter appear, or are in cident to our invention, we obtain by means of a method and construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings in preferred form, wherein: 1

Fig. 1 is'a transverse section through a loco motive front end, illustrating one form of our improvements; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the exhauster device of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a section corresponding to Fig. 1 but illustrating still another form of the invention.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the reference character A indicates the smoke box located in advance of the flue sheet of the boiler B. The usual stand pipe is omitted and in place thereof we prefer to substitute a multiple jet nozzle 7, the jets 8 of which and the exhaust passages 9 in the cylinder saddle casting are so designed that the exhaust steam from the cylinders is discharged at a minimum high limit of back pressure, say for example, in the neighborhood of 6 lbs, which is much lower than the maximum back pres sure produced in standard practice. With a 7 To supplement the exhaust steam, we pro-' vide an exhauster device such as the turbo exhauster C. This exhauster can lee-normally continuously operated at speeds sufiicient-to produce the additional draft required to fire the locomotive at the rate demanded by the particular.operating conditions. By using exhaust steam at relatively low pressure and low velocity for creatinga part of thedraft required, the pulsations will not be as marked as in a locomotive drafted in accordance with standard practice, and this, together with the continuous draft efiect of the turbo exhauster, enables us' to adequately draft the locomotive with a draft which, in comparison, is oflower velocity and of more continuous and uniform character, among the more marked additional additional advantages of which are the reduction in stack losses of unconsumed combustibles, the prevention ofpulling holes in the fire bed, and the obtaining of more uniform draft conditions in the fines and in the fire box and, therefore, in the fire.

The utilization of exhaust steam at relatively low pressure and low velocity, supplemented by the exhauster, secures a very high degree of boiler flexibility, with minimum exhauster fan speeds under normal conditions, the fan, however, having capacity such as to produce high boiler overload at desired periods, such for example, as when the locomotive is equipped with a booster for use in aiding the main drivers in starting the train and in maintaining it in motion at low speeds on heavy. grades under which condition extremely high rating may be frequently called for during short intervals.

in carrying out our invention, we locate the turbo exhauster mechanism C at the upper end of the stack D (which in this instance is also shown as being a feed water heater arrangement), the exhauster mechanism consisting of the fan preferably having peripheral turbine buckets and the pcripheral turbine motor means 11, operated by steam, preferably exhaust steam, as will further appear. The fan is mounted on a vertical shaft 12 which in turn is supported by means of the caring 13 and the thrust bearing 14: in a housing 15 on the hub portion 16 of the spider 17, which is carried in the top of the stack. The spider 17 also carries the outer ring of the turbine, so that the spider, turbine and fan mechanism can be removed and installed as a unit. The housing 15, the bearings and the shaft, are further enclosed by a casing 18 which serves as an oil well so that the shaft revolves in oil.

V e are aware that exhauster fans have been used for drafting purposes but heretofore, in so far as we are aware, all of the arrangements have been objectionable because of the location and disposition of the parts, in which connection one of the most serious problems to be encountered is the proper lubrication of the rotating parts and their protection from the products of combustion and the heat thereof. It will be seen that by our arrangement the exhauster parts are most favorably disposed with respect to the dirt and the heat of the products of combustion and the shaft and bearings thoroughly lubricated by an arrangement which additionally serves to obviate heating difficulties. lVith the bearings immersed in oil contained in the relatively large casing 18, it will be seen that the turbo exhauster should require little, if any, attention between shoppings. In addition, the fan being of large diameter, can very easily develop the necessary horse power at comparatively low angular speeds and at high bucket velocity, insuring maximum efliciency and adaptability for heavy duty. The spokes of the spider direct the gas flow upwardly so as to allow the gas to be picked up by the rotating blades of the fan, which makes for higher efiiciency.

The advantages of this arrangement and disposition of the exhauster mechanism are further increased when, as shown, the stack is utilized as a means for heating feed water. In this connection it will be observed that the stack 13 consists of a practically closed casing 19-of which the casing 18 forms a partthrough which casing extend a plurality of tubes 20, the number of which corresponds with the number of ets 8, such tubes increasing in area upwardly and having their upper ends discharging opposite the blades of the fan. The connections 21 lead from the injectors or feed pump or the like and introduce feed water into the casing 19 in the center thereof. At the upper part of the casing is an outlet 22 provided with a valve 28, and at the bottom is a cleanout pipe 24;.

By splitting up the exhaust steam into a plurality of small jets, the surface or entrainment area is greatly increased so that maximum entrainment of the gases of combustion is obtained, with consequent increase in eiiicieney of the exhaust steam as a producer of draft.

By this arrangement a portion of the heat of the exhaust steam and also a portion of the heat of the waste gas is reclaimed and utilized for heating the feed water, in which connection the rate of heat transfer is quite rapid, as for a given area of heat-absorbing surface, the rate of heat transfer is a function of the rate of flow through the tubes and as these are comparatively long and the flow of exhaust steam and gaseous products relatively fast, the feed water heater is very eflieient.

It will be noted that the feed water arrangement, considered as a whole, extends well down into the front end and close to the jets 8. This arrangement, when consid ered in connection with the multiple jet nozzle, is not objectionable but, on the contrary, will produce more uniform pull on the fines than in standard practice. The use of a spark arrester may also be dispensed with because of the lower velocity of the exhaust steam and waste gases and the cooling effect of the feed water heater. Difliculties with respect to condensation are also avoided because of the mingling of the waste gases with the steam and because of the turbo exhauster. lVith the feed water heater casing closed at top and bottom, centrally of the ring of tubes, there is no opportunity for back draft down the center which would overcome the increased advantages of the larger entraining surfaces secured by splitting up the exhaust steam. The use of a single combining tube for each jet secures a maximum efficiency.

With regard to the proportioning of the capacities of the fan and the ejector, the ejector mechanism, as previously pointed out, should have capacity to produce sufficient steam to enable the locomotive to make its way to a terminal, and the fan should have suflicient capacity to produce high boiler overload and yet supplement the ejector properly for average conditions at relatively low fan speeds.

With regard to back pressure, assuming the device is to be applied to a locomotive which, in standard practice, would be drafted by a 5 nozzle, we would prefer to substitute eight 2% nozzle jets with a total area of approximately 47 sq. in. as compared to about 23 in. In other words, the area would be a little over twice as great and the entrainment surface would be over two and one-half times as great. The jet velocity of the multiple arrangement would be about one-half that of the single tip nozzle with the result that the e ector mechanlsm would have a capacity of from half to three-quarters of the single tip, the fan making up the balance.

When the turbo exhauster fan is operated by exhaust steam, as shown, we prefer to provide a receiver parallel with the jets, to which end the supply of steam for the receiver is taken off from one of the exhaust passages 9 at a point closely adjacent a valve chest as indicated. The purpose of the receiver is to provide sufficient volume of steam to se cure a substantially uniform operation of the fan, or stated in other words, the receiver serves to obliterate the i npulses of the exhaust steam from the respective cylinders, in so far as the steam supply for operating the fan is concerned. Incidentally, the use of a receiver has the same effect on the jets 8, for during the intervals between impulses exhaust steam will work both ways from the receiver, namely, to the and to the jets. Thus the receiver, the low baclr pressure jets,

* and the fan all cooperate to produce the lower velocity, the lower pressure but an i uniform continuous draft hereinbefore referred to. p

A valve 27, suitably operated from the cab, controls the amount of steam passing from the receiver to the turbo exhaustor for regulating the speeds thereof.

"With regard to the fan, it will be noted that the heat absorbed by the blades is dissipated in revolution by contact with the air before this heat can reach the bearings, and the cooling effect of the blades is also carried over into the spokes of the spider.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, the exhaust steam and the waste gases are passed separately through the feed water heater, the heater consisting of an outside shell 30, an inside shell 31 and the top and bottom closure plates 32 and 33. The inner shell 31 is connected with the exhaust steam header 3%. means of an accordion member 35 to take care of expansion and contraction and has its ends closed by two tube sheets 36. A. nest of tubes 37 is arranged within the inner shell 31. the exhaust steam passing through such tubes and out to the atmosphere through the space 38 around the fan shaft housing. The size an d number of the tubes 37 and the area of the opening 38 determines the back pressure of the exhaust steam.

The waste gases pass through the tubes 39 under the influence of the fan and the exhaust steam. The shell 31, near lower portion is provided with a plurality of openings l0 so that the feed water, which is introduced into the upper portion of the inner shell through the pipe or pipes 41 circulates downwar ily and outwardly into the space between the two shells and from thence, when the ejectors are in operation, flows out of the upper portion of the chamber defined by the two shells, as before. Thus, the water is subjected to separate distinct heating stages before leaving the heater, which gives a higher rate of heat ra nsfer and increased efficiency, and by virue of the absorption of heat from the prodnets of combustion, the latter are cooled and ieconie more dense. Therefore, the exhauster is not only effectively protected against OVfilIllQt-illllg' but its capacity is increased be cause it acts upon a more dense gas.

it will, of course, be understood that the turbo-exhauster may be utilized simply as a governor.

What we claim is: 1. In a locomotive draft appliance, a stack, a fan, a turbine for driving the fan, and a iani old for supplying an operating fluid .isposed aunularly of the stack.

2. In a locomotive, a stack, a draftcreatin fan at the outlet thereof, and'peripheral r bine driving means for the fan dispose annularly around said stack.

la a locomotive, a stack, a fan therefor about substantially vertical axis, and a t bine driving means therefor arr. ed peripherally of the stack.

- n locomotive, a stack, a fan therefor rota 1 about a substantially vertical axis, and turbine drivmg means therefor arranged peripherally of the stack and fan.

5. In a locomotive, a stack, a fan therefor at the outlet thereof rota-ting about a subst n'tially vertical axis, a shaft located subfly cent-rally of the stack, hearing as for the shaft supported from the stack, casing enclosing the bearing means. In a locomotive, a stack, a spider havcentral hub, a fanhavinga substantially 6. ing

vertical shaft carried by said hub, and a casing cooperating with the hub to enclose the shaft.

7. In a locomotive, a stack, a spider having a central hub, a fan having a substantially vertical shaft carried by said hub, and a cascooperating with the hub to enclose the shaft, together with a turbine driving means for the fan arranged peripherally of the fan and stack.

8. In a locomotive, a stack, a fan, a support therefor, and a turbine driving means for the fan; the fan, support and driving means being supported by, and removable as a unit from, the stack.

9. The combination in a locomotive, of an exhaust fan, and an economizer in advance of the fan including a plurality of tubes thru which products of combustion pass to the fan and by which feed water is heated and the temperature of the gases lowered.

' 10. In a locomotive, a stack, an exhaust locomotive, an d means for supplementing the V exhaust steam to draft the locom0tive, said means comprising an exhauster fan mounted on a vertical axis in the upper part of the stack.

11. In a locomotive, a multi-tube stack, and

a multi-jet exhaust steam nozzle together with an exhauster means at the upper end of the stack.

12. In a locomotive, a multi-tube stack, and a multi-jet exhaust steam nozzle, together with an exhauster fan at the upper end of the stack.

18. In a locomotive, a stack feed water heater casing, a plurality of tubes extending therethrough, and a multi-jet exhaust steam nozzle, together with an exhauster means supplementing the exhaust steam.

14. In a locomotive, a multi-jet nozzle, and a stack comprising a ring of tubes with means preventing down draft around the tubes.

15. In a locomotive, a unitary stack, a multiple jet nozzle, and a combining tube for each jet in said stack such tubes increasing in area upwardly together with sup]')lemental drafting means at the upper end of said tubes.

16. In a locomotive, a stack, a multiple et nozzle, a combining tube for each jet extending up through the stack, and an exhauster fan above said tubes.

17. In a locomotive, stack, a. multiple jet nozzle, combining tubes for the jets located in the stack and increasing in cross-sectional area upwardly, and an exhauster fan above said tubes.

18. In a locomotive, exhaust steam draft creating means, a receiver in parallel therewith, a. turbo exhauster, and a connection for supplying steam from the receiver to the turbo exhauster, together with means controlling the steam supplied to the turbo exhauster.

19. In a locomotive, exhaust steam draft creating means, a receiver in parallel therewith, a turbo exhauster, and a connection for supplying steam from the receiver to the turbo exhauster, said means being constructed to produce a back pressure insuflicient to fully draft the locomotive but sufficient to ensure adequate steam supply for the turboexhauster.

20. In a locomotive, an exhaust steam actuated turbo exhauster, and means for supplying exhaust steam thereto substantially uniformly.

21. The method of drafting a locomotive which consists in splitting up part of the exhaust steam into a plurality of low pressure, low velocity jets, in utilizing said jets to effect a partial drafting of the locomotive, and in meeting additional draft requirements by utilizing another part of the exhaust steam to create a substantially nonpulsating draft.

22. In a locomotive, a stack feed water heater casing, a plurality of tubes extending therethrough, and a multi-jet exhaust steam nozzle, together with an exhauster fan, the bearing means of which is surrounded by feed water.

23. In a locomotive, a stack feed water heater, and an exhauster fan having bearing means, said means being immersed in the feed water.

24;. In a locomotive, a stack feed water heater, and an exhauster fan having bearing means, including an oil containing casing immersed in the feed water.

25. In a locomotive front end construction, a smoke-box, a stack, a draft fan at the top of the stack, a plurality of exhaust nozzles in the smoke-box, a plurality of combining tubes in said stack, each of which is in alinement with a nozzle, said tubes delivering to the fan, bearing means in the stack for the fan, and means for circulating feed-water in proximity to said tubes and bearing means adapted to cool the products of combustion indirectly and the bearing means directly.

In a locomotive front end construction, a smoke-box. a stack, a draft fan at the top of the stack, a plurality of exhaust nozzles in the smoke-box, a plurality of combining tubes in said stack, each of which is in alinement with a nozzle, said tubes delivering to the fan, bearing means in the stack for the fan, and means for circulating feed-water in proximity to said tubes and bearing means adapted to cool the products of combustion indirectly and the bearing means directly, together with turbine driving means actuating said fan.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto signed our names.

E. L. SCHELLENS. J. S. COFFIN, JR. 

